Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn't been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn't appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn't used to Apple's corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them.

[...]

Mr. Papermaster's recruitment to Apple in late 2008 was controversial. His former employer, IBM, filed a lawsuit against the executive for violating a noncompete agreement. Mr. Papermaster didn't start at Apple until April 2009 after the dispute was resolved. He succeeded Tony Fadell, a longtime Apple executive who had a key role in launching the iPod business, which helped fuel the company's growth.

Mr. Papermaster started his position while Mr. Jobs was on sick leave to receive a liver transplant during the first half of 2009. At the time, executives had more autonomy to make decisions, so Mr. Papermaster was likely ill-prepared when Mr. Jobs, who is known for his hands-on management style, returned, said the people familiar with the situation.